we have arrived!!

We are just about sorted now after having a bit of a tricky time.
Ok starting at the beginning had a lovely week in Krabi lots of snorkeling and we hired sea kayaks and paddled around the islands.
Had a Thai massage which was a painful experience more of that to follow.
Left Krabi for Bangkok only to be refused entry on the flight to Sydney as my visa had my old passport number on it and I had been issued with a new passport.
Bit of a nightmare but we got onto the immigration consultants in Melbourne who issued me with a temporary 3 month visa.
When we arrived in Bangkok Sarah was whisked away to the transfer lounge while I had to check in for my flight with the temporary visa. Unfortunately at customs we were handed each others passports back.. Cue frantic rushing around airport with Sarah on one side of a frosted glass wall and me on the other with several immigration and Thai airlines staff trying to find Sarah and exchange passports.
Finally all sorted out and boarded plane.
Arrived in Sydney early doors and our mate Chaz was there to meet us bless her. Full on day of sight seeing and surfing followed by early night but my back was very sore I put this down to the flight. However next morning could hardly move lower back searing pain no option but see a chiropractor, good thing I did. turns out the Thai massage had opened up my lower vertebrae l4 and l5 and then a 8 hour flight had compressed them at the wrong angle. Much clicking later and ordered back to bed with ice pack on back for rest of the day.
Next day much of the same with another visit to Chiro and more ice. It was Chaz's last night in Sydney so were honour bound to make it a good one meal then clubbing till 4 great night and back felt allot better.
Then off to Bondi for lunch and after getting very lost managed to drop Chaz at airport were she made her flight just..
Then it was the big apartment and car hunting expedition, apartment hunting in Australia is like speed dating they only open the apartment for 15 Min's on a Saturday and you run in grumble at the tiny bedroom the daft weekly rental price and the lack of parking and then run to the next viewing. Finding a car turned out to be breeze by comparison just phoned a couple of numbers in the manly daily (local paper) we bought a ford Fairmont it has air con essential but is a automatic so it's like driving a 1 ton go kart!!
We stayed in a tiny room at the back of a garden for 5 days while we apartment hunted and got a feel for the area. After viewing about 5 apartments during the week which is a lot less stressful than the Saturday shenanigans finally found a place.
As we could not move in until the following Tuesday and we found it on the Thursday Sarah's boss Zoe very kindly let us stay with her. We had a great time gong out for St Paddy to a Irish bar lots of Guinness and dancing a great night. Next morning feeling a bit worse for wear drove to the harbour and boarded a yacht for the day. We sailed around Sydney harbour on the day of the harbour bridge celebrating it's 75th birthday!! It was great fun and we joined the flotilla of craft to sail under the bridge lots of waving and whistles blowing they had old steam ships and fire boat's spraying water out of there hoses.
Finally moved into our apartment on Tues 20th and I am now just waiting for delivery of fridge/freezer and my computer finally. Currently I am having to work from the Internet cafe which is a 40 min walk from our apartment.

Our apartment is unfurnished so we have been looking out for bargain furniture for sale so far have managed to buy a sofa, stereo and kitchen stuff. We got given a sofa bed by the couple we bought the car off but after a herculean effort by Jermain (Zoe's boyfriend) and myself of carrying this across two roads and up 3 flights of steps only to find it would not fit through the door... How gutted was I! the only option was over the balcony but that was feat beyond us. So we carried it all the way back. So we are sleeping on a air bed at the moment.